Hunters, processors expect good rifle season
Billy Crick prepares to process a deer Monday at the Hungarian Smokehouse in Carmichaels.
Kris Eibel of Export, right, knows deer hunting requires a lot of walking, climbing and going through brush as he hunts with his brother, Jerry Eibel of Erie. The two were hunting on Hickory Road in East Finley Township Monday, the first day of rifle deer season.
Hunters and meat processors woke up early Monday in Washington and Greene counties for the first day of rifle season, and they are expecting a better one than last year.
For them, the weather was almost perfect.
“That’s always a good sign,” said Billy Crick, owner of Hungarian Smokehouse in Carmichaels.
He explained cool temperatures after a couple of warm days always get the deer moving. Although some snow would have made it better, the fact it did not rain hard was enough to convince Crick to go out for a couple of hours before heading to the smokehouse to help out with the busy day.
“The kill might be up this year,” Crick said. “We had a bad year last year because of the weather and it raining all the time. We were down 200 deer.”
He also said that the deer population numbers are up this year, so hunters should have a good season.
This year, the Hungarian Smokehouse is betting on large numbers. Crick and his employees always have a bet on the exact number of deer they will have the first day of rifle season. Crick is wagering they will have 113 deer come in the first day and a season total of 2,000 deer.
At Virgili Custom Meats near Dry Tavern, worker Tina Noska said they also are expecting a better season than last year.
“The hunters are pretty excited,” Noska said early Monday afternoon. “Last year, the first day was really slow, but so far, we are doing pretty good. We are up to 35 deer today already.”
Noska knows she will see a lot of familiar faces over the next couple of weeks as returning customers come back for their service as they do every year.
In Fredericktown, Fredericktown Deer Processing worked to be prepared for the projected 150 deer deli manager Mary Pirt expected to receive.
“The first Monday and first Saturday are big, busy days,” Pirt said.
All processing companies saw an increase in numbers during archery season and Pirt said they expect nothing less during rifle season.
The final numbers for the first day of rifle season were not immediately known. Many hunters traditionally wait until almost dark to fill the parking lots for a festival of showing off their kills and conversing with one another.
“They line em’ up and compare and show off their manliness,” Crick said jokingly.
Pirt said that the Ferncliff has a free dinner for hunters during this time on the first Monday and Saturday of rifle season.
“We cook hot dogs and hamburgers and invite the hunters to just enjoy,” Pirt said.
Virgili Custom Meat also has a free meal and coffee on the first Monday while the hunters bring in their kill. They also give out a prize to the first hunter who arrives with a deer. This year the winner arrived at 8 a.m. with a large 12-point buck.
“It’s just a good time to enjoy a sport and gather together,” Crick said.